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Causes
of Accidents
What should you watch for?
Work related accidents are sudden,
unfortunate mishaps/events; especially those situations where equipment
damage,
employee injury or death occurs.
Hazards are at the origin
of
most accidents.
Conditions such as unsafe equipment, stressful work,
fast-paced work coupled with lack of training and supervision, lack of
standard operating procedures or lack of proper engineering controls
are some of the causes of accidents and
ill health in the workplace. Be aware of the following
hazards :
| Chemicals |
Common
cleaning compounds, paints, solvents, many types of dust, corrosive
materials, and a number of substances found at work are classified as
chemicals and may cause burns, allergic skin rashes, permanent asthma,
cancers or birth
defects. Chemicals can affect numerous organs such as the liver,
kidneys,
the nervous system and the blood and will cause ill health.
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| Slips and trips |
Slips,
trips, and fall are the
most common causes of accidents at the university. They happen
because of wet and slippery floors, spills, trailing cables or damaged
floors.overcrowding, untidy
workplaces, |
Machines, equipment and Housekeeping
|
Machine-related
accidents are caused by poor maintenance, lack of safety guards, lack
of equipment -specific training, electrical faults that can cause
burns, fires or kill,
trying to fix a machine without stopping and disconnecting it from the
power supply. Dangerous machinery may be found in labs, kitchens as
well
as plumbing, electrical, carpentry and metalworking shops |
Lifting and
Loads Size |
One of
the leading causes of back injuries in the workplace. Lifting
heavy
or unstable Loads in awkward ways can cause
injuries to the lower back, shoulders, or muscle strain and pulls.
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| Repetitive and
Awkward Work |
Dish
washing,
kitchen work, cashier work, office a lab computer work, pipetting, microtomy,
microscopy etc are some examples of tasks that consist of repetitive,
fast work, and work requiring awkward postures. When coupled with
insufficient rest periods they cause aches, pains and damage
to muscles and joints (musculoskeletal disorders).
|
Noise and
physical other hazards
|
High noise
levels cause hearing loss. Employees may
probably not be aware of the loss as it happens slowly. Hearing damage
can never
be repaired. Other physical hazards include vibration and
radiation. |
Work
Environmental condition
|
Includes:
poor
lighting, lack of proper ventilation, or
required air exchanges, high or low humidity,
uncontrolled carbon dioxide levels,
heat or cold temperatures. All can cause discomfort
problems, loss of
concentration, and may make workers accident prone |
| Stress |
Work-related
stress is a job hazard and is a result of bullying by
supervisors or co-workers, it may also result from how
work
is organized, impossible workloads, unclear
responsibilities, and too much pressure. Stress causes employees to
become inattentive, preoccupied which in turn causes accidents.
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| Violence |
Every day
contacts
with members of the public may include verbal abuse, or physical
assaults can result in accidents, and should not be viewed as "just
part of
the job" but should be abated. |
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